Africa’s altered market may mean new leading tech providers, ID4Africa EC says

For Africa to benefit from the promise of identity, adopting strong governance frameworks and business models to graduate to sustainable ecosystems is the priority, according to a broad consensus at ID4Africa’s 2026 AGM.

Dr. Joseph Atick sat down with the two Biometric Update reporters on location for an exclusive interview during the final day of the proceedings to discuss the most important take-aways from the week.

The concept of the digital public ecosystem “took of like wildfire,” Atick says, referring to the frequent use of the concept by speakers in panels and presentations to frame their discussions of digital identity.

The same attitude has already led to ID systems that were previously siloed becoming more connected in many African countries, according to Atick. “What was so satisfying is to see the outcomes of the things they have done,” he says.

Atick believes that at this point, African ID authorities are leading thought in the national digital ID space. That can be seen in dramatic improvements in registrations, but even more in the practical use cases that are being enabled.

“My hope is that the development community, the worldwide community does not put obstacles in the way and counter this agenda by pushing for other concepts,” he says.  Building on efforts that are already delivering will yield better results than trying to stay current with fashionable trends in the identity field.

Development partners need to see results for their funding, but Africa needs continuous, consistent sustainability.

Fully mature dialogue

The right “institutional arrangements” are what countries need to move from time- and scope-bound projects to functioning identity ecosystems that create value through iteration. Ecosystems thrive not based on centralized decision-making, but institutional arrangements that make governance effective and encourage that iteration.

Co-governance is one of the specific types of institutional arrangements that needs to be improved, as without clear responsibilities, the parties can become paralyzed by the fear of conflict between them. “Doing nothing sometimes is the safest thing to do. But that is exactly the wrong reaction,” Atick says.

Governance frameworks with defined roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability, then, are what African countries need to make better use of their identity systems. Earlier questions about biometrics, deduplication and other early-process steps have already been answered.

Atick makes an analogy between put-luck community meals and ecosystems governance – each party has responsibilities, which must be clear and managed, for instance to avoid duplications of effort, like everyone bringing potato salad. But the responsibility of each, including the coordinator, is limited and manageable.

The shift in dialogue is a reflection of progress made across Africa. As the number of people who cannot prove their rights, or the ranks of the “invisibles” decrease, the challenge becomes sustaining the digital state.

The 10 countries selected by ID4Africa to present during the opening-day plenary were chosen in significant part because of the examples they set in pursuing that sustainability in their specific national context, Atick says.

Ethiopia has taken advantage of a kind of second-mover advantage, taking insights from across the continent to rapidly catch up in terms of reaching sustainability by delivering value. Tanzania’s identity system, meanwhile, is relatively mature, but its ID authority is taking the approach of a startup, prioritizing nimble decisions and collaboration to achieve its goals.

Below the cream of the crop is a broad second layer of countries that have been advancing, but a few, unfortunately are trailing behind.

They are not trailing due to a lack of financial resources, but rather because of insufficient political will, for one reason or another.

Their economies are suffering the consequences of weak identity ecosystems, including in employment opportunities, which the World Bank emphasized the importance of at the 2026 AGM, and which Atick agrees with.

People without economic opportunity at home will pursue it elsewhere, Atick warns: “They’re going to be on the Mediterranean in rafts, crossing and taking risks and leaving the country. That’s exactly the wrong trend.”

Even for the most reticent government, a “revolution” of economic opportunity, enabled in part by the extension of functional identity to all, is preferable to a revolution led by crowds of opportunity-starved youth in the streets – a chillingly familiar occurrence even in recent continental history.

The Africa Digital ID Hackathon is a reflection of the importance of opportunities for Africa’s youth, as well as the part they can play in enabling opportunity for others.

The feeling of Africa’s self-confidence and pride in its identity achievements was the biggest take-away of the AGM for Atick. Conversations in the hallways focussed less on constraints and more on capability and practical experiences, beyond rhetoric, of solutions built “in Africa, by Africa and for Africa.”

The resilience of Africa’s burgeoning identity ecosystem was shown in the success of the event in bringing together stakeholders from across the country despite war causing flight cancellations and security concerns.

The intangible gains of Africa’s identity community, in terms of self-reliance and confidence earned through experience, are even more important than those that can be measured with KPIs, Atick says.

“That’s an outcome of an ecosystem that is interacting well.”

Cape Town 2027

Cape Town, South Africa was revealed as the host location for ID4Africa’s 2027 AGM differently than past host cities, and is also different in that it will be the first return to a city in the AGM’s 14 years.

High-level officials like Ministerial representatives have been expected as part of the announcement during past announcements, but a parliamentary session in South Africa made the usual timing impossible, prompting ID4Africa to change the way the next host was revealed.

The second visit to Cape Town in three years, and the third visit to South Africa, also holds down risk in an uncertain time, with air travel routes that are less likely to be disrupted in the event that the Middle East is still wracked with war.

Finding an 18-day window for the setup, teardown and event itself, plus aligning with government commitments, played significant parts in motivating the shift of next year’s AGM to June. It will overlap with Identity Week Europe, which Atick recognizes as unfortunate, but manageable given the ecosystem’s improved resilience.

“These are mature industries; if they think this is an important market, they send people proportional to that importance,” he says.

Demand for attendance has risen by 30 percent per year, Atick says, despite more modest growth in how fast the event itself could grow. The buyers will be there.

A shifting ecosystem of industry partners

The 2026 AGM had the largest expo yet, with 150 vendors, including shared booths, with the greatest yet number of Africa-based vendors.

They are also located more centrally, with larger booths, “reflecting the African reality” of full engagement and confidence.

International technology providers still have a major role to play, Atick says, particularly in areas like research and development where they hold a significant advantage. But the relationship between the two groups is changing.

“The nature of the relationship is going to switch. The African companies need to be the primes, and the international companies need to be the supporting providers, and that’s more and more happening.”

Not long ago, the continental providers would not meet the qualifications to be the primary provider, but that is changing.

Market expansion will leave plenty of share for everyone, Atick says, so long as those from abroad continue to innovate. The market will select innovation, and innovation cycles have sped up, so all are incentivized to partner.

The industry also needs to listen more to Africa’s needs, and be responsive to them, rather than being prescriptive. That means having a presence on the continent, including at forums like ID4Africa.

Africa’s public sector made up nearly half of the 2,500 registered attendees, of whom over 2,200 made it to Abidjan.

New leaders may emerge from this “shifted market,” Atick suggests.

“Africa has the knowledge, the strategic capacity to decide on what works for them and what doesn’t. So be a partner, co-design with the African countries, and put the power of your R&D into the service of problem-solving in Africa.”

Keep reading Biometric Update for further follow-up coverage of ID4Africa’s 2026 AGM over the next several weeks, including more interviews, stakeholders perspectives and analysis.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital identity  |  digital public infrastructure  |  Dr. Joseph Atick  |  ID4Africa  |  ID4Africa 2026